Helmet with foam layer having an array of holes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11337481-B2
Application number	US-201916409077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2019
Priority date	May 11, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A helmet includes an outer shell, a securing mechanism (e.g., a strap and belt system) for securing the shell to a user's head, and an impact-absorbing layer (e.g., expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), or other suitable material) positioned on an inner surface of the outer shell. The impact-absorbing layer includes a resilient material and has an inner surface and a plurality of holes each having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The hexagonal holes may extend less than all the way through the impact-absorbing layer. A section of the impact-absorbing layer can have holes with a combined cross-sectional area that is at least 50% of a cross-sectional area of the inner surface of the impact-absorbing layer. the plurality of holes can define a honeycomb structure having cell walls having cell wall thicknesses, and the plurality of holes can have major diameters that are larger than the cell wall thickness of the cell walls.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A helmet comprising:
an outer shell;
a securing mechanism configured to secure the outer shell to a user's head; and
an impact-absorbing layer positioned on an inner surface of the outer shell, wherein the impact-absorbing layer comprises a resilient material and has an inner surface and a plurality of holes, wherein each hole includes an axis that extends axially through the hole, and wherein for each hole the hole has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape along a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of the hole,
wherein the plurality of holes define a honeycomb structure having cell walls having cell wall thicknesses (T), wherein each cell wall thickness (T) is measured along a direction perpendicular to the axis, wherein the impact-absorbing layer includes a first region with first cell wall thicknesses of the cell wall thicknesses (T), and a second region with second cell wall thicknesses of the cell wall thicknesses (T) different than the first cell wall thicknesses.

2. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the securing mechanism comprises a strap.

3. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the impact-absorbing layer comprises expanded polypropylene.

4. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in a section of the impact-absorbing layer, holes of the plurality of holes at the section of the impact-absorbing layer have a combined cross-sectional area that is at least 50% of a cross-sectional area of the inner surface of the impact-absorbing layer.

5. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each hole of the plurality of holes has a major diameter measured along a direction perpendicular to the axis of the hole.

6. A helmet as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the major diameter is larger than the cell wall thickness.

7. A helmet as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the major diameter is approximately 3 millimeters to approximately 20 millimeters.

8. A helmet as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the cell wall thickness is approximately 3 millimeters to approximately 12 millimeters.

9. A helmet as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each of the first cell wall thicknesses is approximately 3 millimeters to approximately 12 millimeters.

10. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for one of the plurality of holes, the cell wall thickness (T) of a cell wall varies along the axis of the hole.

11. A helmet as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cell wall thickness is smaller nearer the inner surface of the impact-absorbing layer than nearer the outer shell.

12. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one hole of the plurality of holes is partially defined by two cell walls of the cell walls, and wherein the cell wall thickness of a first cell wall of the two cell walls is different than the cell wall thickness of a second one of the two cell walls.

13. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes comprises major diameters, wherein the plurality of holes include first holes in a center of the impact-absorbing layer and second holes along sides of the impact-absorbing layer, and wherein major diameters of the first holes are smaller than major diameters of the second holes.

14. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes have depths extending at least partially through the impact-absorbing layer, wherein for each hole of the plurality of holes, the depth is measured along the axis of the hole.

15. A helmet as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a depth of at least one hole of the plurality of holes extends entirely through the impact-absorbing layer.

16. A helmet as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the depths are approximately 2 millimeters to approximately 12 millimeters.

17. A helmet as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each depth of the depths is equal to each other.

18. A helmet as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the plurality of holes include first holes in a center of the impact-absorbing layer and second holes along sides of the impact-absorbing layer, and wherein depths of the first holes are smaller than depths of the second holes.

19. A helmet as claimed in claim 1 , the plurality of holes include first holes in a center of the impact-absorbing layer and second holes along sides of the impact-absorbing layer, and wherein the impact-absorbing layer is more dense at the center of the impact-absorbing layer than at the sides of the impact-absorbing layer.

20. The helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cell walls are integrally formed as a single piece with a remainder of the impact-absorbing layer, and are made of the same resilient material as the remainder of the impact-absorbing layer, such that the cell walls are configured to flex laterally relative to the remainder of the impact-absorbing layer when subjected to a force that is parallel to the inner surface of the impact-absorbing layer.

21. The helmet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cell wall thicknesses of the first region are larger than the cell wall thicknesses of the second region, wherein the first region includes a front of the helmet, and wherein the second region includes a side of helmet.

Assignees

• Specialized Bicycle Components Inc

Inventors

• Krynock Michael Joseph
• Rosen Zachary
• Walton Jason

Classifications

• A42B3/125 Primary

  with a padded structure, e.g. foam · CPC title

• A42B3/128

  with zones of different density · CPC title

• A42B3/124 Primary

  with at least one corrugated or ribbed layer · CPC title

• A42B3/08

  Chin straps or similar retention devices · CPC title

• A42B3/28

  Ventilating arrangements (A42B3/24 takes precedence) · CPC title